Artyom Bandikyan: “My parents are from Akhalkalaki, and I first visited Armenia when I was called up to the national team”

Young CSKA Moscow and Armenia U21 midfielder Artyom Bandikyan spoke with the club’s press service about his football journey, Armenian roots, first impressions of Armenia, and his desire to debut for the senior national team as soon as possible.

“I’ve dreamed of playing for CSKA since childhood — and once took a photo with Akinfeev”

Artyom has been part of the CSKA system since the age of six. Before that, he began playing in Kotelniki — futsal in winter and full football in summer. Just a week after his trial at the CSKA academy, the young Armenian received the long-awaited invitation to join the famous CSKA youth school.

“I was nine when I first saw the first team train. After the session, my friends and I literally ran to get photos — and I managed to take one with Igor Akinfeev. I was insanely happy!” Bandikyan recalls.

Born in 2005, he went from playing as a defender to becoming a defensive midfielder. Today, he’s confidently part of CSKA’s senior squad and is increasingly appearing in Russian Premier League matches.

“My parents are from Akhalkalaki — a city with a great history”

Although Artyom was born and raised in Moscow, his roots are Armenian.

“I was born in Moscow, and my parents are from Georgia, from the city of Akhalkalaki. It’s a small city, but with a great history. My parents are Georgian Armenians.”

“I’ve only been to Georgia once, when I was five. I also have relatives in Armenia. I first went there when I was called up to the national team,” Bandikyan said.

“I first went to Armenia when I was called up to the national team — it felt great”

“When I got the call-up, I didn’t even hesitate — I immediately agreed. It was my first visit to Armenia. Everything was top-notch — the organization, the team, the atmosphere. I instantly wanted to go back,” says Bandikyan.

He also shared his impressions of the senior national team and expressed his belief in its potential:

“If the team keeps playing like it did against Ireland, everything’s possible. That was a great match, and the win was well-deserved. Of course, it was very tough against Portugal — no matter what people say, that’s a completely different level. I was at that game and saw how hard it was for the team.”

“The whole city surrounded their hotel,” Artyom says about the Portugal match. “The excitement was crazy — not only at the stadium but all around. People climbed tall buildings near the arena just to watch the game.”

“I even trained with the senior national team once”

“There were some visa issues, so I couldn’t travel with the U21s to Sweden. During that time, I trained with the senior national team — they invited me so I wouldn’t waste time. I got to know the guys, trained with them — it was great.”

“I really want to earn a full call-up as soon as possible. It all depends on me: the better I work, the sooner it will happen. I spoke with the head coach — he said they plan to gradually bring me into the squad. He knows I can play both as a defensive midfielder and as a right-back. So I’ll work hard to achieve that goal.”

Artyom Bandikyan has already played five matches for the Armenia U21 team and is currently a key player in the EURO 2027 (U21) qualification campaign.

In the current season, the 20-year-old Armenian has also played nine matches for CSKA’s first team, recording two assists.